These two works were featured in the center’s “Art In The Spotlight” section of the galleries and are made by two local artists to reflect the ideas of the Competere exhibition. Cathy and Fred Fussell are Columbus natives and incredible storytellers.

Cathy Fussell lives in Columbus, Georgia. She is a fiber artist whose imagery generally fall into three major categories: regional geography, Southern literature, and American modernism.

Fred C. Fussell lives in Columbus, Georgia. He is an artist and writer whose work focused on the American South and other imaginary places.

Pictured Above (Left to Right):
Diamondback by Cathy Fussell (2020)
Cotton canvas, cotton batting, dye pencils, thread

“Countless times I’ve traipsed through tall grass and underbrush to reach an Indian mound, and in the course of doing that I’m always on high alert for the mound’s serpentine guardians. Thank goodness some of them give fair warning.”

Chattahoochee Nøkken by Fred Fussell (2022)
Acrylic on canvas

“In Norwegian mythology, a nøkken is a troll-like shape-shifting water spirit that sometimes lures innocent people to a watery death. A similar creature called a “tie-snake” was said by Muskogee Creeks to inhabit the roaring shoals of the Chattahoochee River. Those who venture into the turbulent whitewater rapids that flow along the Chattahoochee here in Columbus are advised to be very cautious…”